The blurring of the lines between previously separate industries is opening up opportunities for new players across the business landscape. In the automotive industry, it’s something of a one-way street, with an increasing number of tech companies moving in, and only limited ways in which automotive OEMs can get involved outside their traditional stomping grounds. With the car having for so long been the last Internet black spot, all Internet of Things (IoT) stakeholders are looking to include automotive OEMs at the heart of IoT development.
Hence the mutual interest in securing exhibitor booths for car companies at tech shows. These days, you’re as likely to hear an automotive industry executive make an announcement at a tech show as at a car show.
And two of the most important tech shows and car shows in the US and Europe happen within a week of each other. Just as the timing of CES stretches the resources of OEMs at the start of the year and a week before the Detroit auto show, so the increasing importance of Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona looks set to stretch vehicle manufacturers around the beginning of March each year ahead of the Geneva show just a few days later.
These days, you’re as likely to hear an automotive industry executive make an announcement at a tech show as at a car show
The most prominent OEMs at this year’s MWC were BMW (‘Vehicular Small Cell’ in-car signal repeater), Ford (Ford Smart Mobility plan expansion including e-bikes), SEAT (connectivity partnership with Samsung), Renault-Nissan (self-driving car announcements) and Volvo (Cloud tech and Connected Safety).
From the automotive supply base, Visteon showed its Cloud-based, 4G LTE-powered connected technologies; NXP, which confirmed news of its acquisition of Freescale on the show’s mid-way Sunday, also used the event to highlight its role in the connected car of the future; Freescale itself promoted a range of solutions including technology to support ADAS; Vodafone and its M2M partner Huawei showcased video-assisted driving, and its mobile phone-powered telematics services for Porsche; and even Accenture made itself known as a player in the connected car, demonstrating FCA’s Uconnect LIVE services.
However, while the tech shows focus on the cool tech inside the car, with less focus on the cars themselves, the traditional car shows are all about the hot new body-work. And despite the snowy surroundings, it won’t get much hotter than Geneva 2015, which could well be remembered as one of the best Geneva shows ever.
Despite the snowy surroundings, it won’t get much hotter than Geneva 2015, which could well be remembered as one of the best Geneva shows ever
Cast your mind back to the dark days of the automotive industry, and specifically – please forgive the painful reminder – the 2009 Geneva show. Back then, it was all about keeping your head down, your voice low, avoiding eye contact, and getting home as quickly as possible.
Fast forward to 2015, and what seems like a world away from that show: the spectacular US$3m supercar showdown between Aston Martin and McLaren; the go-on-why-not Mercedes-Maybach Pullman; the how-low-can-you-go CO2 race; the low-emissions high-performance battle between the premium brands; the concepts hinting at the sportscars of the future alongside production versions of the sportscars of today; and let’s not forget the mainstream offerings, from Opel’s sub-€10,000 Karl to VW’s Car of the Year and Ford’s hot range of Focus models.
The focus at Geneva may be on cleaner tech and economy, but there’s no sign of letting that get in the way of speed and performance. A new phone may be more affordable than the new Ferrari, but nothing sets the heart racing like a good car show.
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Martin Kahl is Editor, Automotive World
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